## Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Yitro

###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Yitro 8:1
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Yitro 8:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Yitro/r/8:1)

בחדש השלישי. התורה משולשת, ואותיותיה משולשות, והאבות משולשין, והשבט שניתנה על ידו משולש, ומשה (משולש מביניהם) [שלישי ביניהם], ואותיותיו משולשין, ואחים שלשה, ונצפן לג' ירחים [וביום השלישי, ובחדש השלישי], התורה משולשת תורה נביאים וכתובים, ואותיותיה משולשות אלף בית גימל, האבות משולשין אברהם יצחק ויעקב, ומשה שלישי ביניהם אנכי עומד בין ה' וביניכם (דברים ה ה), ואותיות משולשות משה, ומשבט שלישי ראובן שמעון ולוי, ואחים שלשה משה אהרן ומרים, ונצפן לג' ותצפנהו שלשה ירחים (שמות ב ב), וביום השלישי כי ביום השלישי ירד ה' וגו' (שם יט יא), [ובחדש השלישי שנאמר בחדש השלישי].

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Exod. 19:1:) ON THE THIRD NEW MOON. The Torah is threefold, its letters are threefold, the fathers are threefold, the tribe into whose hand it was given is threefold,²⁴ Moses was {threefold from between them} [a third person between them], the letters of his name are threefold, he was one of three siblings, he was hidden for three moons, (according to Exod. 19:11) it was ON THE THIRD DAY that the Holy One came down on Sinai , and (here in Exod. 19:1:) ON THE THIRD NEW MOON Israel arrived at Sinai.²⁵., Exod. 5:10; *PRK* 12:13. The Torah (in the sense of Scripture) is threefold: Torah, Prophets, and Writings. Its letters are threefold: ABC. The fathers are threefold: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses (*MShH*) was a third person as a mediator between them (in Deut. 5:5): I STOOD BETWEEN THE LORD AND YOU.²⁶ The letters of his name are threefold: *M*, *Sh*, and *H*. He comes from the third tribe: Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. He was one of three siblings: Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. He was hidden for three moons (according to Exod. 2:2): AND SHE HID HIM FOR THREE MOONS. (Exod. 19:11:) FOR ON THE THIRD DAY THE LORD WILL COME DOWN … UPON MOUNT SINAI, [even on the third new moon, as stated (in Exod. 19:1): ON THE THIRD NEW MOON.]

footnotes:
²⁴ “Levi” has three letters in Hebrew.
²⁵ Tanh
²⁶ Cf. Galatians 3:19–20.